The Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center reopened for in-person services on September 7 for assistance with information and referral services. See flyer for information on opening hours and how to reach us!

Registration for basic computer classes is open! Free online classes are offered for anyone living in the county. Click HERE for more information and to register. To learn more about our work and services, please visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Gilchrist or call 240-777-4940.

From September 10-19, The Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center participated in Welcoming Week, a national movement of inclusive communities, to celebrate and promote the Montgomery County community as a welcoming place for all. The Center participated in several community events to share resources with residents and partners. Attendees discussed what belonging means for them and decorated paper shingles to create a community roof..

Pictured above, County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council President Tom Hucker issued proclamations at Crossroads Farmer’s Market on September 15 during

Welcoming Week.

Special thanks to MCAEL for spearheading the activities, and all other partners: CHEER, Community Reach of Montgomery County, English Now, Identity Inc, Montgomery College, MCPS, Office of Councilmember Gabe Albornoz, and Washington Center for International Education.

Fall is the perfect time to get outside (or stay inside) and volunteer! Take a look at the Volunteer Center's calendar to find something that suits you. Or go directly to the search page for "outdoors" which is full of great opportunities.

Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center is not currently scheduling any in-person citizenship application workshops. However, APALRC has access to a safe and secure web platform, CitizenshipWorks, which applicants can use and get free help from an experienced attorney in reviewing and drafting their citizenship application. Click here for more information.

The Maryland Bar Foundation's Pro Bono Program provides free legal services to low-income county residents in civil cases. Click here for more information.

HIAS Asylee Outreach Project offers free help connecting Maryland asylees (and T visa holders) with the resettlement resources and benefits available to them in the state of Maryland. Click here for more information.

Montgomery College (MC) offers free citizenship preparation classes online via Zoom. In partnership, Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services offers help with the N-400 application for naturalization. For more details, please email

citizenshipprogram@montgomerycollege.edu or visit the website.

Quick Topics Training— Cultural Competency in Your Pro Bono Work

October 13, 2021, 12:00 pm -1:00 pm (Online)

Click here for more information and registration.

The Language Access Program at Ayuda provides professionally trained, trauma-informed interpreters at no cost. Please email interpreterbank@ayuda.com with "Maryland Victims" in the subject heading to learn more and to add your organization to the list of those that will receive services.

CASA, in partnership with Montgomery County, is offering financial assistance to those who are eligible to apply for citizenship but cannot afford the application fee. Click here for more information.

The mission of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA) is to help prevent sexual assault, advocate for accessible, compassionate care for survivors of sexual violence, and work to hold offenders accountable. MCASA is the federally recognized state sexual assault coalition and responsible for certifying comprehensive rape crisis/sexual assault programs to ensure services are survivor centered. Check out upcoming training sessions here.

African Affairs Advisory Group will meet on Thursday October 14th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The meeting will focus on job readiness and professional development opportunities in Montgomery County. The African Affairs Advisory Group meets every second Thursday of the month. For details and virtual link please email Harrieta.Shangarai@montgomerycountymd.gov.

African American Advisory Group will meet jointly with the Caribbean and African Affairs Advisory Groups on October 7th at 5:00 pm. For more information, contact

Asian Pacific American Advisory Group will meet on October 19th at 6:30 pm. If you would like to attend, please email Mr. Yi Shen yi.shen@montgomerycountymd.gov.  

Caribbean American Advisory Group will meet on October 5th. In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the meeting will include a presentation on health and wellness focusing on breast cancer and prostate cancer. For more information, please email Rodrigue Vital, Caribbean American Liaison at rodrigue.vital@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Latin American Advisory Group will meet on Tuesday, October 19th, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. For more information, please email Jessy Mejia Terry, Latino Liaison at jessy.mejiaterry@montgomerycountymd.gov.

LGBTQ Advisory Group will meet on October 25th at 6:30 pm. For more information, contact Amena Johnson, LGBTQ Community Liaison at amena.johnson@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Middle Eastern American Advisory Group will meet virtually on Wednesday, October 20th, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm. All are welcome. Ms. Lisa Lorraine, the Community Navigator with Jubilee Association, will provide information for individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism. Please contact OCP Middle Eastern Liaison Arwa.ElBoraei@montgomerycountymd.gov for the Zoom link.

The Ethiopian Community Center of Maryland in collaboration with the Ethiopian Community in DC will be hosting a webinar on mental health with focus on trauma and coping mechanisms. Recordings can be found at www.ethioccmd.org.

For more information, email info@ethiopiancommunitydc.org. Click here for flyer.

Montgomery County was the first in the nation to proclaim the month of September as African Heritage Month and the 13th annual county celebration took place virtually in early September. The observance of African Heritage Month pays tribute to the history, heritage, culture, ancestry, values, and contributions of the African community that continue to enrich our diverse county. To view a video of the event, visit the African Affairs Advisory Group on Facebook.

Teaching Africa Day is an interactive and child-friendly event geared toward educating children and youth about Africa. The event provides a collective platform with the best quality books, videos, games, programs, and other resources that teach about Africa and African heritage. For more details visit teachingafricaday.com.

The Eritrean community in the DC metro area, in collaboration with the Eritrean American Public Affairs Committee (EAPAC), hosted a celebration of African Heritage Month on September 26th at the Silver Spring Veterans Plaza. This event showcased and promoted Eritrean culture including music, dance, clothing, artwork, food and more.

The Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame will be holding its 2021 induction ceremony on October 17, 2021 at 7:00 pm. The ceremony will be held virtually. This year’s inductees are Richie Anderson, Deane Beman, Charlene Thomas-Swinson, Greivis Vasquez, and Mike Curtis. READ MORE.

The Chinese Culture and Community Services Center (CCACC) will be giving out $50 gift cards to individuls who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at CCACC. Offer is limited to the first 150 individuals. Please see flyer for more information.

Vietnamese American Services (VAS) hosted its 2021 Maryland Mid-Autumn Festival on Sunday, September 19. The well-attended outdoor event featured martial arts demonstrations, magic shows, lion dances and other performances.

The Chinese Culture and Community Service Center (CCACC) will hold a mini-health fair on October 8 from 2 pm until 5 pm at 9366 Gaither Road, Room 109, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Please see flyer for more information.

The Caribbean American Advisory Group (CAAG) resumed activities in September, after a summer break. At the monthly meeting, members discussed two reports — the Racial Equity Task Force and Reimagining Public Safety — which had been submitted to the County Executive's Office.

A prospective CAAG member, William Montier, attended the September meeting. Mr. Montier hopes to bring his extensive community and legal expertise to strengthen CAAG’s mission to support County Executive March Elrich’s vision of creating a larger policy table in Montgomery County.

As part of National Hispanic Heritage Month, County Executive Marc Elrich has begun a celebration tour to several regions around the county—Long Branch, Germantown, and Wheaton—to highlight and recognize the work of county partners, who along with the Regional Service Centers, provide health services and other resources to the county’s Latino community. These celebrations underscore the importance of the county’s diversity as a key feature in our collective recovery.

The County Executive was at El Golfo Restaurant in Long Branch on September 24, with members of the Silver Spring Covid Community Committee, Clifton Park Baptist Church Hub, St. Camillus Catholic Church Hub, CHEER, and members of the Long Branch and Silver Spring business communities to highlight the collaborative recovery effort in this region. See photo at left.

On Friday, October 8, the County Executive will be joining the UpCounty Regional Service Center to officially welcome and ‘cut-the-ribbon’ for the UpCounty Hub’s new home. This celebration will be followed by a free public concert.

Closing the Heritage month, Mr. Elrich will be at Marian Fryer Plaza at the new county building in Wheaton on Friday, October 15 at 6:00 pm to celebrate the work of all partners of the Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar Initiative. The public is invited to join any or all celebrations starting at 6:30 pm.

October is LGBTQ History Month. Look for StoryCorps interviews featuring LGBTQ in Montgomery County. StoryCorps gives people of all backgrounds the opportunity to record meaningful conversations and archive the recordings at the Library of Congress.

Click here to read more about MEAAG's current and upcoming activities:

Katherine Chance, the new OCP Interfaith Liaison, attended MEAAG's meeting on September 22. Her experience in interfaith and intercultural education and cooperation will help strengthen awareness and understanding among our diverse communities.

MEAAG welcomes returning and new high school interns, Anahita Javadi, a senior at Quince Orchard High School and Sarah Edwan, a junior at Clarksburg High School and dually enrolled at Montgomery College.

MEAAG member Sahar Fahmy attended the Dara Global Arts Gallery pop-up art gallery in Vienna, VA, where MEAAG friend and artist Ahmed Alkarkhi exhibited some of his work, as he did for MEAAG's March-April exhibit, Middle Eastern American Artists in the Garden and Beyond. Ahmed, other Middle Eastern American artists, and MEAAG hope to collaborate in the future and continue participating in and spreading the word about community events.

MEAAG’s second monthly e-newsletter is posted here. It features the Montgomery County Middle Eastern American communities’ interests and news, along with MEAAG activities

Please feel free to share news and upcoming events for future e-newsletters!

Montgomery County began accepting applications on Friday, September 24, 2021 from nonprofit organizations seeking grant funding from the Nonprofit Security Grants program. The County approved $700,000 to be used for nonprofit organizations and facilities which have experienced, or are at high risk of experiencing, hate crimes. READ MORE.

Mehergan, October 2, Zoroastrian | Durga Puja, October 11-15, Hindu | Indigenous People's Day, October 11 | Dussehra, October 15, Hindu | Mawlid al-Nabi, October 18-19, Islam | Lhabab Duchen, October 27, Buddhist 

National Faith and Blue Weekend, October 8-11, is a powerful initiative that builds bridges to more engaged communities. Many events will take place during this weekend, including:

The faith community has received many inquiries about ways to help with a variety of issues, including the crisis in Haiti, incoming Afghan refugees, and flooding in Rockville. Please click here to learn how you can support these efforts. For a full list of opportunities, please review this document compiled by the Office of Community Partnerships.

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is asking all parents to give permission for their children to receive free COVID-19 testing. Tests will be available in every school. There are two types of tests available and the one given to students depends on the situation. The tests are:

These free tests are important to keep schools open and students and staff safe. The weekly screenings for groups of students who do not have symptoms will help schools limit the spread of the virus. These tests are especially important for younger students because they are not yet eligible to be vaccinated. READ MORE.

The Sister City Committee of Morazan, El Salvador, will be launching a short, showcase film about its origin and work over the last decade as Montgomery County’s first Sister City on Thursday, October 14 at 7:00 pm. The film, produced in collaboration with Montgomery College TV, will be presented through several social media outlets, including the county’s Spanish Facebook Page, @MontgomeryCountyenEspanol. The 30-minute film will feature an introduction by the County Executive and a panel discussion by Salvadoran leaders, moderated by Karla Silvestre, Director of Community Engagement, at Montgomery College.

Rockville Library's Beginner Chinese Conversation: Celebrate Active Aging Week - Virtual (Friday, October 08 2:00pm) and Understanding Medicare - Virtual (Tuesday, October 26 2:00pm)

Job Opportunity - Montgomery College TV has a full-time opening for an experienced French or Amharic speaking video Producer/Director. Deadline to apply is October 6. Click here for details.

The Montgomery Food Council announces its first installment of the 2021 Fall Virtual Training Series: Introduction to Food Assistance Resources in Montgomery County. Click here for more information and to register.

U.S. Census Bureau is Hiring Field Representatives — Are you available for part-time work? Do you enjoy meeting people? Check out the Census Bureau! Become a Field Representative in YOUR area!

To submit your news and events of interest to those serving Montgomery County's emerging communities and neighbors in need, email complete details and/or a news release to the OCP Newsletter.